Turtles of South Africa   Related checklists:  Reptiles of South Africa (main menu) Bibliography of the reptiles of South Africa

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Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. www.repfocus.dk (Compilation date: 14th April, 2023).

Checklist General remarks: The list includes only formally described species. Newly discovered, but still unnamed species are excluded. However, unnamed species or species unassigned to species level are included, if they are the only representatives of their genus in the region. Species counts exclude extinct and introduced species. Doubtful records, typically older voucher specimens of uncertain origin, have been excluded if considered questionable, as are records based on sources considered unreliable or controversial. Note: Your comments to the checklist (omissions, errors, etc.) are welcomed, preferably if they are provided with reliable references. If possible, please attach a pdf file of the relevant reference to an email addressed to:

	Turtles (Testudines)
	= endemicEX = extinct or assumed extinct Species References  Family Cheloniidae (Hard-shelled Sea Turtles) Genus Caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle)   Caretta caretta Loggerhead Sea Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1970 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch 1998 Fritz & Havas 2006 Hughes 1975 Hughes in Bjorndal (ed.) 1982 Jacobsen & Randall 2013 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Genus Chelonia (Green Sea Turtle)   Chelonia mydas Green Sea Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Hughes in Bjorndal (ed.) 1982 Jacobsen & Randall 2013 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Genus Eretmochelys (Hawksbill Sea Turtle)   Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill Sea Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch 1998 Brongersma in Bjorndal (ed.) 1982 Hughes in Bjorndal (ed.) 1982 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Genus Lepidochelys (Ridley Sea Turtles)   Lepidochelys olivacea Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch 1998 Hughes in Bjorndal (ed.) 1982 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021  Family Dermochelyidae (Leatherback Sea Turtle) Genus Dermochelys (Leatherback Sea Turtle)   Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback Sea Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1970 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Fritz & Havas 2006 Hughes in Bjorndal (ed.) 1982 Jacobsen & Randall 2013 Pritchard 1979 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021  Family Pelomedusidae (African Side-necked Turtles) Genus Pelomedusa (African Helmeted Turtles)   Pelomedusa galeata South African Helmeted Turtle Bates 1997 [as subrufa] Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 [as subrufa] Bourquin 1989 [as subrufa] Bourquin 2004 [as subrufa] Boycott & Bourquin 2008 [as subrufa] Branch & Braack 1989 [as subrufa] Branch 1998 [as subrufa] Burger & Branch 1992 [as subrufa] Conradie, Doucette-Riise, Vanhooydonck, Engelbrecht, Measey & Tolley 2011 [as subrufa] Conradie, Reeves, Brown & Venter 2016 Iverson 1992 [as subrufa] Jacobsen & Randall 2013 [as subrufa] Jacobsen 1989 [as subrufa] McCord, Joseph-Ouni & Bour 2004 [as subrufa] Petzold, Vargas-Ramirez, Kehlmaier, Vamberger, Branch, Preez, Hofmeyr, Meyer, Schleicher, Siroky & Fritz 2014 Reeves, Mdoko, Rebelo & Conradie 2021 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Schmidt 2002 [as subrufa] Stuart & Meakin 1983 [as P. subrufa] Tolley, Telford, Makhubo, Power & Alexander 2023 Tolley, Whitaker & Turner 2006 [as subrufa] Waal 1980 [as subrufa]   Pelomedusa subrufa Common Helmeted Turtle Conradie, Engelbrecht, Herrel, Measey, Nielsen, Vanhooydonck & Tolley 2011 Jacobsen 1989 Petzold, Vargas-Ramirez, Kehlmaier, Vamberger, Branch, Preez, Hofmeyr, Meyer, Schleicher, Siroky & Fritz 2014 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Schmidt 2002 Genus Pelusios (African Mud Turtles)   Pelusios castanoides Yellow-bellied Mud Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch 1998 McCord, Joseph-Ouni & Bour 2004 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021   Pelusios rhodesianus Zambian Mud Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch 1998 Broadley & Boycott 2008 McCord, Joseph-Ouni & Bour 2004 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021   Pelusios sinuatus East African Serrated Mud Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch 1998 Broadley & Boycott 2009 Jacobsen 1989 McCord, Joseph-Ouni & Bour 2004 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Tolley, Telford, Makhubo, Power & Alexander 2023   Pelusios subniger East African Black Mud Turtle Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Branch 1998 Hoffman & Bank 2001 Jacobsen 1989 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021  Family Testudinidae (Tortoises) Genus Chersina (Angulate Tortoise)   Chersina angulata Angulate Tortoise Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bauer & Branch 2001 Branch & Braack 1989 Branch 1998 Burger & Branch 1992 Burger 1993 Hofmeyr 2009 Jacobsen & Randall 2013 Phelps 2009 Reeves, Mdoko, Rebelo & Conradie 2021 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Tolley, Whitaker & Turner 2006 Genus Chersobius (Five-toed Dwarf Tortoises)   * Chersobius boulengeri Karroo Padloper Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Branch & Braack 1989 Branch 1989 Branch 1998 Fritz & Havas 2006 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021   * Chersobius signatus Speckled Padloper Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bauer & Branch 2001 Boycott 1986 Branch 1998 Daniels, Hofmeyr, Henen & Baard 2010 Fritz & Havas 2006 Iverson 1992 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Genus Homopus (Four-toed Dwarf Tortoises)   * Homopus areolatus Common Padloper Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Branch 1998 Burger 1993 Fritz & Havas 2006 Jacobsen & Randall 2013 Reeves, Mdoko, Rebelo & Conradie 2021 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Tolley, Whitaker & Turner 2006   Homopus femoralis Greater Padloper Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Branch & Braack 1989 Branch 1998 Burger 1993 Conradie, Reeves, Brown & Venter 2016 Fritz & Havas 2006 Jacobsen 1989 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Tolley, Telford, Makhubo, Power & Alexander 2023 Waal 1980 Genus Kinixys (Hinge-back Tortoises)   Kinixys lobatsiana Lobatse Hinge-back Tortoise Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Branch 1998 Broadley 1993 Ihlow, Huyssteen, Vamberger, Cory-Toussaint, Hofmeyr & Fritz 2020 Iverson 1992 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Tolley, Telford, Makhubo, Power & Alexander 2023   Kinixys natalensis Natal Hinge-back Tortoise Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch 1998 Broadley 1993 Haagner 1992 Iverson 1992 Jacobsen 1989 Kindler, Branch, Hofmeyr, Maran, Siroky, Vences, Harvey, Hauswaldt, Schleicher, Stuckas & Fritz 2012 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021   Kinixys spekii Eastern Savanna Hinge-back Tortoise Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch 1998 Branch 2010 Broadley 1993 Hailey, Broadley, Boycott & Spawls 2021 Ihlow, Farooq, Gvozdik, Hofmeyr, Conradie, Campbell, Harvey, Verburgt & Fritz 2019 Iverson 1992 Jacobsen 1989 Kindler, Branch, Hofmeyr, Maran, Siroky, Vences, Harvey, Hauswaldt, Schleicher, Stuckas & Fritz 2012 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Tolley, Telford, Makhubo, Power & Alexander 2023   Kinixys zombensis Southeastern Hinge-back Tortoise Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 [as belliana] Bourquin 2004 [as belliana] Branch 1998 [as belliana] Broadley 1993 [as belliana] Fritz & Havas 2006 [as belliana] Iverson 1992 Kindler, Branch, Hofmeyr, Maran, Siroky, Vences, Harvey, Hauswaldt, Schleicher, Stuckas & Fritz 2012 McCord, Joseph-Ouni & Tabaka 2005 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Genus Psammobates (South African Star Tortoises)   * Psammobates geometricus Geometric Tortoise Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Branch 1998 Baard 1992 Fritz & Havas 2006 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021   Psammobates oculiferus African Serrated Star Tortoise Bates 1997 Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Conradie, Doucette-Riise, Vanhooydonck, Engelbrecht, Measey & Tolley 2011 Fritz & Havas 2006 Jacobsen 1989 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Schmidt 2002 Tolley, Telford, Makhubo, Power & Alexander 2023 Wermuth & Mertens 1977 Waal 1980   Psammobates tentorius African Tent Tortoise Bates 1996 Bates 1997 Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bauer & Branch 2001 Branch & Braack 1989 Branch 1998 Burger 1993 Baard, Villiers & Villiers 1988 Fritz & Havas 2006 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Wermuth & Mertens 1977 Genus Stigmochelys (Leopard Tortoise)   Stigmochelys pardalis Leopard Tortoise Bates 1997 Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014 Bourquin 1989 Bourquin 2004 Branch & Braack 1989 Branch 1998 Burger & Branch 1992 Burger 1993 Conradie, Doucette-Riise, Vanhooydonck, Engelbrecht, Measey & Tolley 2011 Conradie, Engelbrecht, Herrel, Measey, Nielsen, Vanhooydonck & Tolley 2011 Conradie, Reeves, Brown & Venter 2016 Fritz & Havas 2006 Jacobsen & Randall 2013 Jacobsen 1989 Johnson & Raw 1989 Rhodin, Iverson, Bour, Fritz, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2021 Schmidt 2002 Tolley, Telford, Makhubo, Power & Alexander 2023 Waal 1980 Zyl 1966